Broadcast receiver

Abstract

In a broadcast receiver, where the user operates a channel up / down key of a remote controller, when the broadcast signal to be next received is an analog broadcast signal, a tuner unit which has received a broadcast signal immediately before the operation receives the analog broadcast signal to be next received. In the broadcast receiver, in accordance with the side of the channel up / down key which is operated by the user (the up side or the down side), a digital broadcast signal of a channel number which is closest to the channel that is currently received and output by one of tuner units is previously received by the other tuner unit. When the user selects the channel of the digital broadcast signal which is received by the other tuner unit, the broadcast receiver outputs video and audio signals on the basis of the digital broadcast signal which is already received.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]1. Field of the Invention[0002]The present invention relates to a broadcast receiver that can selectively receive a digital broadcast and an analog broadcast.[0003]2. Description of the Related Art[0004]Cable television is in widespread use in North America. The user can select a desired one of plural channels to watch a program of the selected channel. In North America, in addition to an analog broadcast which is conventionally used, a digital broadcast which is typified by a BS (Broadcasting Satellite) digital broadcast or a CS (Communication Satellite) digital broadcast is becoming pervasive. In such a digital broadcast, as compared with an analog broadcast, the image quality can be improved higher and the number of channels can be increased. In North America, furthermore, a digital broadcast (terrestrial digital broadcast) which is standardized by ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committee) has been started. In a digital broadcast, a broadcast s...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0010]The broadcast receiver disclosed in JP-A-2001-24537 includes a digital tuner and an NTSC tuner (analog tuner), and, while conducting a tuning search for a channel of a digital broadcast, can search a channel of an analog broadcast. Therefore, the broadcast receiver can shorten the waiting time period which must elapse before a broadcast is received.

[0015]Digital broadcast signals are transmitted in the form that broadcast signals of plural channels called subchannels are compressed with being multiplexed to one frequency band, and a signal containing channel information required for restoring signals of the channels are added every two or three seconds to the compressed and multiplexed digital broadcast signal. In a conventional broadcast receiver, after the user conducts an operation of selecting a channel, therefore, the user must wait for about five to ten seconds before a program of the channel is reproduced on a display apparatus. During this period, the user must view the screen of the broadcast receiver on which no image is displayed or no signal is reproduced. By contrast, according to the configuration, the broadcast receiver can previously receive a digital broadcast. When the user selects a channel in ascending or descending order of channel number, therefore, a program of the digital broadcast can be promptly displayed on a monitor apparatus, so that the user can check the program with requiring substantially no waiting time period.

Problems solved by technology

However, the broadcast receiver has the following problem.

In the case where the user is viewing a digital broadcast, even when an operation of receiving another digital broadcast is conducted, it is impossible to immediately receive the other digital broadcast, and hence the waiting time period which must elapse before a broadcast is received cannot be shortened.

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